One of the great journeymen of St George cricket history Ward, a leg spinner, made his first grade debut alongside Don Bradman in the season of 1926-27. He took 46 1st Grade wickets at just 15.95 in 31-32 before heading to Queensland in search of opportunity. He returned to Sydney a short while later before he ended up at Bradman’s Kensington Club in South Australia. In 1935 he made his 1st class debut and went on to take 50 wickets at 20.94 helping overcome the NSW – Victoria monopoly on the Sheffield Shield.
When Bradman took over the captaincy of Australia Ward was then sensationally selected for Australia ahead of Clarrie Grimmett. In 1938 he was also chosen to tour England where he took 92 wickets but only managed to play in just one Test Match.
All up he played 4 Tests claiming best figures of 6-102 with 11 wickets all up.
He eventually returned to Sydney and once again to St George for a short while before leading a solitary life near Narooma and then on an Island on the Hawkesbury River. He eventually returned to Sydney and sadly died of Cancer at the age of 68 in 1974.
He finished with 320 First Class wickets at 24.68 with a career best of 7-51. He scored 871 runs with a best score of 62.
Across 1st and 2nd grade for St George he accumulated 186 wickets including 121 wickets in First Grade at just 21.
Bert Oldfield described him as a unique bowler who flighted the ball with great skill. "It was sheer delight to keep wicket to him" was the tribute paid by one of Australia's greatest stumpers.
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